Freddie Freeman, Canada win highest-scoring game in World Baseball Classic history

Two more World Baseball Classic games involving Dodgers players are still on the docket for Sunday afternoon and evening, but earlier in the day (and overnight) featured several Dodgers-related news in the tournament.

Pitching was optional in Canada vs. Great Britain, in which neither starting pitcher made it out of the first inning. Canada prevailed 18-8 in the highest-scoring game in WBC history, in a game that lasted three hours, 38 minutes even with the mercy rule that ended the contest after seven innings.

Freddie Freeman singled twice, walked, scored three times, and drove in another for Canada, who picked up their fourth win in 13 World Baseball Classic games dating back to the inaugural tournament in 2006.

Trayce Thompson delivered an RBI single, stole a base, walked, and scored a run for Great Britain.

Pool A parity

Every team in Taichung, Taiwan finished with a 2-2 record in pool play, which meant the region was decided by the second tiebreaker, which is fewest runs allowed per defensive outs. Cuba and Italy will head to the quarterfinals, which begin on Wednesday in Tokyo.

Panama allowed 21 runs, second-most in the group, and was eliminated, which marked the end of the World Baseball Classic for Dodgers minor league outfielder Jose Ramos, who batted cleanup and played center field in all four games, and hit one of Panama’s two home runs in the tournament.

The 22-year-old was 5-for-16 (.313/.353/.500), stole a base, and led the team in hits and with five runs scored in four games.

Doolan debut

Dodgers minor league pitcher Liam Doolan got into his first game for Australia on early Sunday morning in Tokyo. Pitching in the fifth inning against Japan, the right-hander walked two of his first three batters faced. A double cashed in one of those runs, but Doolan escaped further damage thanks to two strikeouts, including one of Lars Nootbaar.

Australia is 2-1, and can advance out of Pool B into the quarterfinals along with Japan with a win over the Czech Republic on Sunday night (8 p.m. PT, FS2).